Unpacking teachers’ reflective thinking levels in online teacher professional development: A case study of Indonesian EFL teachers

Dewi Rochsantiningsih, Nur Arifah Drajati, Hilda Rakerda, Agustina Tyarakanita

Abstract


Reflective thinking levels (RTL) is an essential tool for English as Foreign Language (EFL) teachers as it helps them evaluate their teaching strategies and understand the reasons behind different classroom occurrences.  This case study explores RTL of the EFL teachers who participated in a 6-week online writing teacher professional development (OTPD) program aimed at improving their practices for writing best practice papers. The data were collected from the written reflective journals and interviews of 16 EFL teachers while thematic analysis was conducted on the data using Hatton and Smith’s (1995) concept of reflective thinking levels. The findings indicate that the EFL teachers in the research demonstrated different levels of reflective thinking. The majority of these teachers were at the higher level of dialogic reflection, suggesting a commitment to critically examining and improving their teaching practices. However, there was also a smaller group of teachers who exhibited a lower level of reflection, primarily characterized by descriptive reflection, indicating that their reflective practices were less critical. Assessing teachers' RTL helps professional development facilitators and government tailor programs to meet teachers' specific needs by identifying gaps in their reflective thinking processes. This assessment enables the design of targeted training that enhances teachers' ability to critically evaluate and refine their teaching practices by providing a structured framework for differentiated professional growth, ensuring that teachers at different levels of reflective thinking receive appropriate approaches, resources, and strategies.


Keywords


Indonesian EFL teachers; reflective thinking levels; written reflective journal

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v15i1.68731

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